Alice Brock's Lasagne
For the pasta:
Boil 1 lb. of lasagna in a lot of salted water with a few tbsps. of oil. Add small quantities at a time until pasta is soft and pliable but not completely limp. Remove gently from the water with tongs (or a spoon), and let cool.
For the spaghetti sauce:
4 large onions
3 or 4 green peppers
2 cloves of garlic
Olive oil
2 large cans of tomatoes (use fresh tomatoes in season)
2 cans tomato paste
Celery, mushrooms, carrots, parsley, black olives (all optional)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
Marjoram, thyme, red pepper, sugar (all optional)
1. Chop up onions and peppers finely with one garlic clove. Cook them in 1/4-inch of olive oil until soft.
2. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and whatever else you may want to use --celery, sliced mushrooms, grated carrots, minced parsley or black olives, cut up. Add bay leaf and cover. Simmer on a very low flame for at least an hour.
3. About 45 minutes or so before you are ready to use the sauce, add seasonings and remaining garlic, chopped.
For the cheese layer:
1 lb. (or more) ricotta (or cottage) cheese
1 lb. (or more) Mozzarella cheese, grated
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup cinnamon and sugar (2 tbsps. each ingredient)
1/4 cup crushed walnuts
1/4 cup sliced black olives (or raisins)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. oregano
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tsps. snipped fresh parsley
Juice and grated rind of one lemon
3 cups spaghetti sauce
1. Mix up all the ingredients except half the Mozzarella and half the grated Parmesan cheese. Alternate layers of lasagna noodles in oiled baking dish with layers of cheese mixture and spaghetti sauce in that order.
2. Sprinkle Mozzarella and remaining Parmesan cheese over the top. Bake in preheated 350 degrees F. for about 1 hour (or until brown and bubbly). Serves 6-8.
Alice's Thoughts: "You must use oregano and basil, but try some marjoram, thyme, or whatever. I like a few shots of red pepper and 1 tablespoon or more of sugar. Keep tasting, stirring and experimenting." Alice suggests the addition of seafood in the basic cheese layer (omitting the cinnamon, sugar and raisins), by mixing in 1 cup of minced clams, shrimp or lobster meat, or cooked chicken and some finely chopped sauteed onions. For spinach layer, defrost 1 package frozen, chopped spinach, squeeze until dry and rechop and saute with 2 chopped onions, 3 minced cloves of garlic, 1 pound ground beef or sausage meat.
Alice Brock's Shrimp Curry
For the shrimp:
If you buy shrimp in their shells, they can be cleaned before or after boiling. Just peel the shells off with your fingers and a beer can opener or a small knife, scraping out the black vein that runs down the middle of the shrimp. Boil raw (or frozen) shrimp in salted water. You may add some lemon juice (or 1 teaspoon vinegar) and sliced onion to the water if you want to.
Raw shrimp should be done in 2-5 minutes; frozen shrimp in 2 to 8 minutes. Don't overcook them. After they are cooked, saute shrimp lightly in curry sauce.
For the curry sauce:
1 large onion
1 large apple
4 or more tbsps. butter
3 tbsps. flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
Dash of ground ginger
2 (or more) tbsps. curry powder
About 2 tbsps. sour cream
1. Grate onion, peel apple and saute in butter gently until soft. Slowly add flour and mix well. Add broth (or other liquid) a little at a time and simmer until smooth and thick.
2. Now add ginger, curry powder, stir in sour cream. You can stop right now, or you may add any of the following: hot pepper sauce, red pepper, sherry, chopped chutney, grated lemon rind, dry mustard or poppy seeds.
This sauce is also great on chicken, rice, vegetables, or eggs.
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